Zetheros
Developer
Hey Exanimates,
The renderer update is essentially ready, along with the last important procedural materials and various asset updates. After our great success getting the new renderer working on Intel graphics, this week we had a much less successful run with AMD. We are having issues with their OpenGL drivers, it works, but performance is bad and there are some visual artefacts. We haven't had much luck solving these issues yet, so we'll return to them after release.
Anyway, before we release the renderer update and start patching people's save games we want to complete one more thing, which is the core of the itemisation changes and a big part of what the new procedural systems are designed to do.
Currently items in Exanima only have a few preset modifiers, such as "rusted" or "exceptional" which encompass quality, condition and any other differences. You generally know what to expect from certain items, and what's better or worse. The item progression is very simple and linear, you pick up something better and discard the old until you have the best.
With the new procedural material system we're also introducing new properties and randomisation mechanics. Each item has independent quality and condition with many possible levels, a separate set of traits, and some other variable properties. The same items come with different material combinations and variants of similar materials. Materials can also have their own pool of traits which they can apply.
This means a lot more variation in items, both visually and in terms of properties. Even static rusty items in the environment will vary significantly, and this ties in to other systems we're introducing. In story mode there will be a way to improve the quality of items with a new consumable resource, so you will want to choose how much to invest in which items, considering your options carefully.
This is a complex randomisation system, it will still generate thematically appropriate items, appropriately combine fancy or simple materials and dyes, follow colour schemes etc. Dyes, paints and lacquers will also be introduced, allowing you to customise the appearance of your items. Dyes can also be used to restore an item's appearance cosmetically, without functionally improving its condition, and you'll be able to clean dirty items if you have the necessary cleaning items.
These mechanics now apply to apparel and armour, but will be part of the upcoming procedural weapons too. Another related feature we're introducing is randomising "static" spawns of items in the environment, so that different items will appear in new and different locations on each playthrough, including even chests or other containers. Encounters will also have partially randomised equipment, and in some cases we would like to give some special encounters that carry more important items a greater degree of randomisation, while still following a theme.
Have a great week!
-the BM team
The renderer update is essentially ready, along with the last important procedural materials and various asset updates. After our great success getting the new renderer working on Intel graphics, this week we had a much less successful run with AMD. We are having issues with their OpenGL drivers, it works, but performance is bad and there are some visual artefacts. We haven't had much luck solving these issues yet, so we'll return to them after release.
Anyway, before we release the renderer update and start patching people's save games we want to complete one more thing, which is the core of the itemisation changes and a big part of what the new procedural systems are designed to do.
Currently items in Exanima only have a few preset modifiers, such as "rusted" or "exceptional" which encompass quality, condition and any other differences. You generally know what to expect from certain items, and what's better or worse. The item progression is very simple and linear, you pick up something better and discard the old until you have the best.
With the new procedural material system we're also introducing new properties and randomisation mechanics. Each item has independent quality and condition with many possible levels, a separate set of traits, and some other variable properties. The same items come with different material combinations and variants of similar materials. Materials can also have their own pool of traits which they can apply.
This means a lot more variation in items, both visually and in terms of properties. Even static rusty items in the environment will vary significantly, and this ties in to other systems we're introducing. In story mode there will be a way to improve the quality of items with a new consumable resource, so you will want to choose how much to invest in which items, considering your options carefully.
This is a complex randomisation system, it will still generate thematically appropriate items, appropriately combine fancy or simple materials and dyes, follow colour schemes etc. Dyes, paints and lacquers will also be introduced, allowing you to customise the appearance of your items. Dyes can also be used to restore an item's appearance cosmetically, without functionally improving its condition, and you'll be able to clean dirty items if you have the necessary cleaning items.
These mechanics now apply to apparel and armour, but will be part of the upcoming procedural weapons too. Another related feature we're introducing is randomising "static" spawns of items in the environment, so that different items will appear in new and different locations on each playthrough, including even chests or other containers. Encounters will also have partially randomised equipment, and in some cases we would like to give some special encounters that carry more important items a greater degree of randomisation, while still following a theme.
Have a great week!
-the BM team
